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" The best I found I can do is to listen, weigh potentials and try to make a good, fair judgement - which is not easy 😞" ^ This part. This has been a difficult topic in the past for me to approach from a staffing standpoint. I tend to to lean towards the opinion that, although I'm sure a lot of these IRL celebs have no idea about roleplaying, someone placing themselves into public domain like that inherently accepts that their image may be used, regardless of what happens (and to that end...we all die eventually). There are, of course, more private famous figures, but existing on a large scale, having pictures, gifs, etc...short of explicit requests to not be used, it's kind of...part of the business? Plus, we see it a lot — whether it's a movie, music, etc., content is often released posthumously, and often by the families of the deceased individual. So it makes me...relatively neutral and of the belief that so long as it's handled respectfully and one isn't making a mockery of someone's death, it's no big deal to me. I'm far more pressed and aggressive about problematic individuals like known -ists and -ist sympathizers being used. I accept though that part of that might be personal clouded judgment — there are FCs who I have loved and used long ago when I got into the RP game way back when in like 2004 who have since passed, and not being able to use them hurts, kills muse, etc. I'd be crushed if certain FCs of mine were to pass — first and foremost because I tend to actively follow and adore who I FC so the IRL loss would be devastating — but there are some chars who I can't see as anyone else so I would lose the character, too. ...however, my general observation is that I'm in the minority opinion here, and that it makes people uncomfortable. Times have changed, and the RPC has changed. I've been on sites where it was allowed and have witnessed people avoiding plots with characters due to certain FCs. I used to not have it as a rule on my last site and was approached by NUMEROUS members who cited the allowing of deceased FCs as being a pivotal factor for them possibly wanting to not be on the site. Anton Yelchin was the last prominent example I can remember — he was being used as the FC for the son of one of my characters (want ad); the character was amazing, strong, brilliant, in no way problematic or disrespecting the FC — but 5+ members immediately approached me the night the news broke and asked if I was going to make the RPer change the FC because seeing his face on the site made them SUPER upset and uncomfortable. It was a really tough call, and as a staffer, ngl I felt super backed into a corner. In the end, the RPer decided to retire the character since she neither wanted to change his FC but several members made it publicly known in the Discord that they would prefer he no longer be used. So from that moment on, we declared no deceased FC's and that if a FC passes away, the FC must be changed within a few days time. In the end, you have to make the best decision for your community, which requires knowing what types of personalities you not only currently have, but want to attract. Rolling a lot of my old site's rules into my newest community, this came up for consideration again and my new co-admin and I decided that we would disallow it from the start. I still disagree on a personal level that it should be a blanket-ban, but it seems to be the most socially acceptable response amongst the type of individuals that we draw in and the particular culture that my sites tend to foster. So, because the community is not about me, it is a rule for our site because that's what the majority of the members want; if I personally want to RP a deceased FC that badly, then I'll find and go join a site that does allow it and join with a one-off or something.

I have been RPing a long, long time. Almost two decades. I've gone through many sites. I've picked up many friends along the way. I've been an admin more times than is probably really reasonable, actually. But I have to say, after being through the wringer, deciding what sorts of people I like, what sorts of RP I like, and how I want my home to look... this is the place. After this, I really don't think anywhere else will suffice. Out of character, the community is warm, supportive, always aiming to make sure interactions are healthy ones where everyone is treated as a person with feelings and lives of their own. It's not always perfect, but when conflict does arise, there's always that goal of making sure it gets solved with communication. I value this online as much as I do in the "real" world. And don't even get me started on the site itself. It was built with love, and is always open to changing what it needs to change in order to make sure the site runs as desired. RP is meant to be FUN and that's the goal here, making it stressful would defeat the whole purpose. Every day sees over a hundred posts, typically even on the slowest days, and plots are almost always hot. Being able to jump in wherever and whenever and keeping things organic means no one gets left behind or left out, and the community's respect of other players means bulldozing isn't an issue, either. I think about my characters here, and the characters of others, almost all day every day. The writing is top notch, the characters are varied and often hilarious, and really I wouldn't trade Passing Strange for anything. Twenty years and I have never felt more welcome, more creative, or more proud being in a forum. If you want to play a wereanimal of some sort, or a vampire, or a magic human, or even just a very normal human stuck in a world with all of these crazies... you gotta at least try this.

This place. I'd gotten out of the RP game a couple years back after a decade and a half or so of it being my primary hobby. Just diminishing returns, souring relationships, egos and mess. I meandered into Passing Strange a good few months ago because I'd known one of the staff for a long while and missed regular engagement with them. We neither of us are great at maintaining contact, so I thought this would help. And my goodness. These people. They are good writers, sure. Threads are engaging and unpredictable and I like that we have a sort of melting pot of styles. Some posts are appropriately pithy and brief, evoking only the attitude of the established character and being excellent little reaction snapshots, while others are replete with visceral imagery that absolutely paints a picture. It all runs the spectrum and serves to drive stories forward in fun and fascinating ways. But whatever, a lot of places have stellar writing. That's not why I love these people. Statistically I have to accept that you probably could, but I still catch myself doubting anyone will ever find a kinder, healthier community of humble humans just trying to have a little fun and make each other's lives better. The staff are across the board gentle and welcoming, hilarious and proactive. They embrace their role as facilitators and accept their fallibility, always open to suggestions and changes. They very sincerely want this place to be safe and gracious to all comers, and the memberbase embraces this fully. I was not a month in before this community felt very much like the place I belong. Compassion runs rampant, and while we of course have occasional conflict because that's how human interaction works, the overwhelming desire to respond with understanding and find workable solutions keeps the community strong. If the setting intrigues you, stop on in. Passing Strange is a wonderful home and if you decide to settle in, I think you'll find yourself loving it for a long, long time.

Having been a part of several writing communities for more than half my life, I think I've finally got a pretty good grip on what makes an enrapturing roleplay experience. The people I have met in the PS community have introduced me to a largely plot-free play style - and that has honestly changed this hobby for me for the better. The writers here consistently supply immense inspiration and compelling characters and stories, and half the time none of us have any idea how a thread is going to end, and I freakin' love that. On top of having extremely rich and vivid in-character happenings, the OOC community is absolutely the kindest, funniest, most thoughtful group of people I have ever met, online and otherwise. The folks here communicate openly and lovingly, are inclusive and engaging, and I have learned a whoooole lot - about writing and real life situations in general - from a lot of them. Here's to PS being around for a long time to come. 💖

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